Program managers are experienced individuals who are responsible for overseeing and managing all of the company’s projects*. It is important to note that the roles and responsibilities of a program manager are quite different from those of a project manager, as they typically collaborate with multiple managers in a senior leadership position.
The position of program manager is highly reputed, and it is not always easy to get this dream job. Therefore, the goal of this article is to thoroughly discuss the tips and tricks that can help you in writing an impressive program manager resume, along with tried-and-tested examples and templates.
So, if you want to maximize your chances of getting your dream job as a program manager, keep reading and craft the perfect program manager resume!
Overview of a Program Manager
A program manager holds a senior leadership role at an organization to oversee various company projects and manage multiple initiatives across the organization.
Ideally, a program manager is someone who is great at coordinating and efficiently handling multiple projects without compromising on the quality of the strategies being implemented across the board. Designing and implementing organization-wide strategies to scale a business is another main responsibility of a program manager.
5 Tips to Write An Impressive Program Manager Resume
Just like writing a resume for any other job, the process of writing a program manager’s resume includes writing your qualifications and experience in a concise and impressive manner to ensure that potential employers can get familiar with your skills and capabilities.
Here are the top 5 tips you need to follow to write a good technical program manager resume and ensure you land your dream job!
1. Focus On Your Program Management Skills
Since a program manager is responsible for working with other managers and handling various aspects of projects, it is important that you have both hard and soft skills to be a successful program manager.
Therefore, in your resume for the role of program manager, you need to present yourself as a well-rounded candidate. Some of the common soft skills required in a program manager are excellent leadership skills, attention to detail, and work delegation to successfully complete multiple projects.
Other than the soft skills, you also need to have significant hard skills, also called technical skills, to succeed in a competitive job like technical program management. Such skills are typically demonstrated via previous projects you might have handled and your knowledge of the modern tools and technologies in the relevant niche.
2. Use Power Words
Power words, also called action verbs, are the core of any type of resume. These words can often be the make-or-break factor when it comes to securing your ideal job. For instance, when you are crafting a program manager resume, you should not start every other phrase in a passive tone like ‘I was responsible for…’ and other such sentence structures.
Instead, you should focus on using strong power words that show your own drive and initiative to demonstrate your accomplishments. Some of the key action verbs that should be a part of a program manager’s resume are develop, organize, devise, remodel, execute, streamline, initiate, spearhead, etc.
Let’s look at such an example:
- I was tasked with the goal of managing the project manager inside the organization to facilitate the successful implementation of policies made by the executives.
- Managed project managers across the organization to support executives in the successful implementation of their policies.
- Facilitated the executives in the successful implementation of their organization’s growth policies through efficient management of other project managers.
These three different sentences convey a similar thing, but it is evident that the second and third examples can be more successful in impressing the hiring managers as they contain strong action verbs.
The quality and engagement level of the product manager’s resume can be further extended by using specific percentages, such as:
- Spearheaded the organization’s holiday marketing campaign to bring 32% more conversions.
- Collaborated with 5 product managers to oversee 5 different projects.
3. Use A Strong Cover Letter
When you are applying for a competitive position such as program manager, there is a high chance that multiple candidates applying have similar skills, and the hiring manager will be impressed by them.
In such a situation, the quality of your cover letter can play a decisive role in your application. The goal of the cover letter is to demonstrate how your skills and experience align with the company’s requirements and why you are a good match for the position you are applying for.
In other words, a product manager’s resume summarizes your qualifications, skills, and experience, while a cover letter gives you the golden opportunity to explain how your qualifications and experience connect with the job.
Make sure you have a good idea of how to write a stellar cover letter to make a mark on the hiring manager. If you don’t have any experience in writing a cover letter, you can start by identifying job-specific skills from the job posting and then discussing specific examples to demonstrate those skills as per your past experiences.
Important Tip:
Since applying to different jobs can be a hectic and often frustrating process, many candidates make the mistake of applying to jobs with the same generic cover letters. Such tactics are unlikely to work on hiring managers who are used to quickly identifying whether someone is putting effort into the job application.
So, it is recommended that you always take sufficient time to customize your cover letter as per the specific job requirements and expectations of the company you are applying to.
How to Write an Effective Cover Letter for Program Manager?
Some of the key things you should keep in mind to write an effective cover letter for the position of a program manager are:
- Make sure you are using the right cover letter format as per the company and industry.
- Properly structure the information with an engaging paragraph. Include 2 or 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion, to sum up the cover letter.
- The ideal length of a cover letter is anywhere from 250 words to 400 words. So, keep the cover letter as concise as possible while also including all the relevant information that makes you the best candidate for the job.
- You should start your cover letter with a recent and impressive accomplishment. For instance, if you have contributed to an organization’s growth in your previous role as a program manager, you should highlight it within your resume as well as cover letter.
- Keep in mind that hiring managers are likely to be looking at numerous resumes and cover letters. So, your application should reflect the key strengths that make you different from others and make you the perfect fit for the job.
How to Properly Format A Program Manager Resume?
‘Reverse-chronological’ is the standard form of resume used around the world nowadays for different positions, including program manager. When you are crafting an impressive program manager resume, you need to choose the right format to immediately make the impression that you are well-organized and like to follow the best standards and practices.
The ‘reverse-chronological’ format means your most recent qualifications, experiences, certifications, and successes are listed first. Here’s how you can properly format a program manager resume:
- Margins: Use a 1-inch margin on all sides of the paper.
- Font: Use a font that is easy to understand. Generally, classic fonts like Times New Roman, Gill Sans, and Tahoma are used in crafting resumes.
- Line Spacing: You can put a maximum of 1.15 line spacing in your resume and cover letter. Keep in mind that you don’t want your job applications to be too lengthy, so don’t add unnecessary spacing.
- Length: The ideal length of a resume is 1-page. When you are applying for a competitive job like a program manager, it is understandable that you might want to fit in as many experiences as possible, but you should avoid this mistake and only include skills and experiences that are actually relevant to the job position. You can elaborate on your skill set in your cover letter.
Other Types of Resumes
While the ‘reverse-chronological’ resume format is the most popular form of resume, there are other types of formats that can also be useful to create a technical program manager resume:
- Functional Resume: If you are someone who has the right skills for the job of a project manager but lacks experience in the field, you’ll find a functional resume to be a great format. It focuses on your actual skills for the job instead of the experience. Moreover, this resume format is also useful for people who have significant gaps in their employment history.
- Combination Resume: As the name suggests, a combination resume format is one that combines both functional and reverse-chronological formats. In other words, it focuses on both the candidate’s skills and work experience.
Key Components of a Program Manager Resume
The most important components of a program manager’s resume are:
1. Contact Information
Contact information is arguably the most important part of any type of resume. If you make a mistake here, there is a high chance you won’t get any interview invitations. So, allocate significant time towards adding correct and relevant information in the contact section, including:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Location (optional)
2. Summary
A recruiter is likely to get hundreds of resumes for a competitive job like program manager. So, you have a limited window of opportunity to impress the hiring manager. It is possible to write a short and engaging summary or objective paragraph that immediately introduces you to the recruiter and compels them to read your entire job application.
Read More :- Resume Summary Examples
3. Work Experience
Everyone is aware of the importance of adding a work experience section to their resumes. However, a common mistake people make is that they tend to add all of their previous work experiences, even if they are not relevant to the job.
In reality, you only need to include work experiences, qualifications, and skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for, such as program manager. Include the position names, key achievements, and duration of employment in this section.
4. Education & Certifications
Just like your work experience, you don’t need to include your entire educational background in the resume. It is recommended that you only include your most recent educational achievement and any certifications or programs you might have completed that are relevant to the program manager’s job.
5. Skills
As discussed before, both soft and hard skills are important for the job of a program manager. In terms of soft skills, you should focus on skills related to leadership, communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. On the other hand, for hard skills, you can emphasize your experience and skills in project management, agile methodology, risk management, budget management, and other technical skills that can help you be a successful program manager.
Read More :- Personal Skills For Resume
Examples of a Program Manager Resume
Here are three examples of a well-crafted technical program manager resume:
Example 1 : An experienced software engineer and program manager who highlights her general experience in the field
Example 2 : An experienced program manager who highlights specific achievements in terms of revenue growth.
Example 3 : A senior program manager who highlights all of their experiences in reputable companies with specific examples of leading large teams.
Example 4 : A concise resume of a program manager who has summarized his 10-year career in a one-page resume:
Conclusion
The bottom line is that when it comes to crafting the perfect program manager resume, you have to look at several different factors, such as summarizing your work experiences in an engaging and concise manner.
Moreover, if the job you are applying for demands more technical skills, you need to emphasize your hard skills to tell the hiring manager that you have what it takes to handle the different technical aspects of program management.
Ultimately, by following the tips and program manager resume examples discussed in this comprehensive guide, you will be in a very good position to have an impressive resume and start applying for your dream job!